Kid Dreams will make his first Woodbine start in Sunday’s Plate Trial.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Neil Drysdale has found much success on the local turf courses through the years, with three Woodbine Miles and one Canadian International, Northern Dancer, Sky Classic, and Nearctic on his r é sum é .

But Drysdale will be looking for his first win on Woodbine’s Polytrack on Saturday when he sends out Kid Dreams in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial.

Owned and bred by Robert S. Evans, Kid Dreams arrived about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday following a flight from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J., and a van ride to Toronto. Caesar Alvarez is the colt’s traveling companion.

Kid Dreams has raced twice on Hollywood Park’s synthetic surface, finishing a non-threatening fifth at seven furlongs in his first lifetime start last December and a distant third under first-level allowance terms at 1 1/16 miles in March.

His maiden win came over one mile on dirt at Santa Anita, and in his most recent outing, on May 18, Kid Dreams raced on turf for the first time and finished a solid second in a first-level allowance race over a mile at Hollywood Park.

Kid Dreams also had his final Plate Trial tune-up on the turf as he was clocked in 1:28.20 over seven furlongs at Hollywood Park last Sunday.

“He went very well on it,” Drysdale said from his base at Hollywood Park. “We know he likes the grass. We’re experimenting, to see whether he’ll handle the Polytrack up there. They’re all different.

“If he likes it and runs well, then we can run him back in the Queen’s Plate. If not, we can run him in the Breeders’.”

The $500,000 Breeders’, a 1 1/2-mile turf race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, is scheduled for Aug. 18

Javier Castellano, who has the call on Kid Dreams, also is no stranger to success on the Woodbine turf course, with his eight stakes wins including the 2008 Canadian International and 2009 Northern Dancer with the Drysdale-trained Marsh Side.

Castellano won the 2009 running of the Woodbine Oaks and finished second in the Queen’s Plate with Ginger Brew, who was trained by Brian Lynch.

Trainer Wolfe dies at age 91

Sheldon Wolfe, a prominent local trainer here, died at age 91 last Wednesday following a bout with pneumonia.

Wolfe, born and raised in Toronto, established a small Thoroughbred breeding farm in Maple, Ontario, in 1961 and took out his trainer’s license in the early 1970s.

His first stakes winner was Hopenscope, who captured the 1973 Fairbanks Stakes at Greenwood with Queen’s Plate winner Royal Chocolate among his victims.

Truth of It All was Canada’s champion male 2-year-old in 1992 and ran in the following year’s Kentucky Derby, finishing 10th in the field of 19.

Wolfe retired in 1991 with a record of 232 wins, 221 seconds and 224 thirds for earnings of more than $3.6 million from 1,658 starts.

Wolfe also is remembered for his easy-going manner and sense of humor as he was a master of the one-liner in the mold of Henny Youngman.

His favorite jokes included the ones about the cannibal chief who decided to go on a diet and ate only vegetarians, and the bad boxer whose only source of income came from selling advertising on the soles of his shoes.

Wolfe’s wife, Charlotte, who worked with him at the racetrack, died in January. He is survived by sons John and Don, who also once were part of the family racetrack operation but have moved on to other pursuits.

Power Phil works, has eye on Plate

Power Phil breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 here Wednesday morning with a long-term eye toward a possible appearance in the Queen’s Plate.

“He worked very well,” said Bob Tiller, who gave rider Tyler Pizarro a leg up for the drill.

Power Phil, owned by Frank DiGiulio, was beaten just a nose by Queen’s Plate hopeful Pyrite Mountain here in the 1 1/16-mile Kingarvie last December and began his current campaign with a third-place finish in the open Woodstock at six furlongs.

In his last appearance on May 18, Power Phil was an impressive winner of a first-level restricted allowance race at 1 1/16 miles.

“Our objective is definitely to run in the Plate as long as he’s in good order,” said Tiller, who nominated Power Phil to both the June 15 Steady Growth and June 16 Victoria Park and also could have allowance race options.

The $125,000 Steady Growth is a 1 1/16-mile race for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and up, while the $150,000 Victoria Park is an open 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds.

“We might or might not run him one more time before the Plate; we’re still debating,” Tiller said.

◗ David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and his wife, Sharon Johnston, will be the guests of honor at the 154th running of the Queen’s Plate here Sunday, July 7, the Woodbine Entertainment Group announced Wednesday. The Governor General will present the trophy to the winning owner.